Interesting email......

Can I apply for this from the US once I receive my spousal visa? Or does it have to wait until I'm living in the UK?

You can apply from the US and you do not need your spouse visa to apply. However, I think you're asked for the reason you're applying (e.g., visitor, settlement), so you may need to update that in your profile  depending on when you choose to apply.

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BUT... you must have visited the U.K. 4 times within the past 24 months  I did not see this mentioned in all the discussion but it is a requirement. Bummer as I'm going back for my 4th visit but in 3.5 years, not 2.


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Can I apply for this from the US once I receive my spousal visa? Or does it have to wait until I'm living in the UK?

I applied 6 months ago from the US. Saved me a lot of time when I don't get a fast pass invitation from the airline.  It's just submit the necessary evidence to qualify, pay the fee and in a few weeks you get an answer and you'll get your card from the border agent.  When I showed my decision, they were very friendly about it and handed me a membership card to keep.

I applied for my registered traveller status last week! Crossing my fingers that I get it, so I don't have to fill out a landing card and stand in those long non-EU queues every time I want to go to mainland Europe for the weekend.

I applied for my registered traveller status last week! Crossing my fingers that I get it, so I don't have to fill out a landing card and stand in those long non-EU queues every time I want to go to mainland Europe for the weekend.

Wait, do you have a UK spouse?  If you're travelling together you should go to whichever queue is shortest.  You only have to go to the non EU line when you're not with your spouse.

Wait, do you have a UK spouse?  If you're travelling together you should go to whichever queue is shortest.  You only have to go to the non EU line when you're not with your spouse.

No, I'm married to a Canadian, and we're in the UK on the Ancestry Visa. So this program will save us a lot of waiting time in immigration lines.

If you're travelling on your own, you still need to go through the non-EU line, because you are not a UK or EU citizen and do not hold a UK or EU passport.

If you're travelling with your husband and entering at the same time, you should go through the same line together as a family. I think you should be able to go through the UK/EU line with him, but if you're unsure, you can always ask a member of staff which line you should go through.

I will say from multiple personal experiences though, they do try to mess you around in Dublin. They told my husband and I multiple trips we couldn't go together because we "don't qualify as family".....even though we are married....but once I've reached the border patrol desk, I've been told to ignore that and that we can go through together. Last time we went together and there was no issue so we just ignore what the people filtering us into UK/EU vs NON lines tell us now.

Update: We had our registered traveller acceptances processed at the airport last weekend. It was very easy; we were just given our cards and explained how the programme worked. The officer warned us that without keeping the card on us as proof of right to be in the EU lines, we might experience confused officers trying to send us back to non-EU queues.

I will say from multiple personal experiences though, they do try to mess you around in Dublin. They told my husband and I multiple trips we couldn't go together because we "don't qualify as family".....even though we are married....but once I've reached the border patrol desk, I've been told to ignore that and that we can go through together. Last time we went together and there was no issue so we just ignore what the people filtering us into UK/EU vs NON lines tell us now.

That shouldn't have said "try" as I don't think they actively try to do it, I think they just are hazy on the rules regarding how you should filter or something (I'm not sure why I put that they *try* to mess you around because I certainly don't think they are maliciously messing people about...). I only just noticed that now when I've been updated about the new comment but it won't let me edit my initial response. I just meant that I've had multiple occasions of being directed incorrectly going via Dublin.


Glad to hear the traveller acceptance bit was easy, AncestrySpouse!

Just as a note, when we're saying that visa and BRP holders can go through the EU line with their UK/EU spouse, it's going to the manned EU desk, same as if you were travelling with EU children under 12.

My IO at Heathrow yesterday was so lovely, she actually (jokingly) told us off for going in the All Other Passports line rather than the EU line. It was a tactical move; there were a lot of families on that flight from Geneva.